Rail anchor



the rail base, with su Patented Oct. 9 1928.

UNITED STATES CHARLES IE. YA'RDLEY, OF LABCEMONT, NEW YORK.

min. n1vcn:on.

Application filed September o, 1926. Serial No. 136,507.

My invention relates to improvements in rail anchors and has for itsprincipal object to provide an improved one-piece bar type of anchorwhich will rip opposite edges of cient tenacity to prevent cr'eepingmovement of the rail, but which may be readily dislodged from the railwithout damaging the rail or the anchor, in the event that the anchor isstruck by a derailed wheel or other heavy object.

The flanges of railroad rails have been at times broken out or otherwiseseriously clamaged by derailed car wheels striking that portion of arail anchor which ordinarily extends over the upper inclined surface ofthe rail base. Such damage is especially likely when the j aws of theanchor extend a substantial distance over the upper Surface of the railbase. My invehtion aims to overcome these and other afllied objectionsby providing an improved spring bar type of anchor which i so formed asto provide j aws which project over opposite edges of a rail base so asto support the anchor in its initial position on the rail base beforebeing driven into gripping engagement with the rail base, which whenapplied to its operative position will exert a strong spring griptransversely of the rail so as to prevent longitudinal creeping movementof the rail, but which will be readily dislodged from the rail withoutdamaging the rail base in the event that the anchor is struck by aderailed car wheel or other heavy part of a moving train.

Another and more specific object is to provide a one-piece bar type ofanchor in which the jaws areso disposed with relation to each otherthatthey may be engaged in their initial position on the rail base bymoving the anchor about a vertical axis until the anchor stands in adiagonal position across the rail base, from which initial position oneend may be driven longitudinallyof the rail base to f0rce the anchor toits rail gripping position and into operative engagement with anadjacent cross tie. A

A further and more specific object is to provide a one-piece anchoradapted to be flexed onto a rail base and which is so formed that theflexing of the anchor,in applying it to a rail, is distributedthroughout the body of the anchor.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a railroad rail corners of the rail base;

showing a rail an"chor device constructed in Fig. 2 is a face view ofthe rail anchor il lustrating one method of applying the anchor to arail.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the anchor device in itsnormal applied position and illustrating in dotted lines the positionfrom which the body portion was sprung during the application of thedevice.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a rail base and an anchor device, showinganother method of applying the anchor, and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary end view of the rail anchor showing the mannerin which one end extends forward of the cross tie and showing the mannerin which the extremities of the yoke are flattened to increase thebearing surface which engages the edges of the rail base.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates a railroad rail and 11 one ofthe cross ties on. which the rail is supported.

The preferred embodiment of the invention shown herein consists of arelatively heavy metal bar 13, one end of which is bent upwardly to forma short arm 14 and the other end of which is bent upwardlyto form arelatively. long arm 15. The short and long arms are so disposed withrelation to each other that it. is necessary to spread them apart indriving the anchor to its rail gripping engagement with opposite edgesof the rail base. Both arms '14: and 15 accordance with my inventionapplied there- I of the anchor preferably extend inwardly toward eachother so that they Will project over theupper edges of the rail base 10in a mariner to support the anchor in its initial position on.the rail.The long arm 15 15 provided with a relatively shallow notch 17 adaptedto snap over the upper and lower The notch is of such configuration thatthe top and bottom walls 18 and 19 bear against the upper inclinedsurface and the bottom surface respectively of the rail base. The depthof the notch is exaggerated in the drawing for the purpose of clearness.Normally it is relatively shallow, although of sufficient depth toprevent dislodgment of the anchor under service conditions, for example,by the pressure of the anchor against the ballast or by the chaffingreferred to.

the long arm should be struck with any unusual force, Such, for exampleas when a car wheel is detailed and rolls along the flange of the rail,the arm will be flexed outwardly with relation to the edge of the railbase so as to be removed from the rail without damaging the edge of therail base. arm 14 normally projects over the upper corner of the railbase but is so constructed as to be forced downward and out ofengagement with the rail base when subjected to any unusual downwardforce like that above The notch 17, furthermore, is formed so as to bearflat against the vertical surface of the rail base when the anchor isflexed into its rail gripping position. The inner face of the long armbears against the edge of the rail and serves as a cam to force the arms14 and 15 apart and into gripping contact with the opposite edges of therail base.

In order to increase the boaring surfaces of the arms against the railbase, the upper portions of these arms are flattened so as to increasethe width of the bar at the point where the arms bear against the edgcsof the rail base. The long arm is also preferably offset longitudinallyof the body, so as to normally stand out of contact with the tie. Withsuch construction, the under rail portion 13 of the bar normally bearsflatwise throughout its length against the tie when the anchor is in itsoperative position.

In applying the device to a rail in ac cordance with the method shown inFig. 2 of the drawings, the anchor is disposed at right angles to therail base and the long arm is hooked over one edg'e of the rail base asindicated in d0tted lines in Fig. 2. In this position the short endportion 14 may be raised above the upper-edge of the rail base,whereupon movement of the anchor bodily to theright of Fig. 2 brings thearms 14 and 15 into position to bear upon the longitudinal upper cornersof the rail base at opposite sides of the rail. The upper end of thelong arm may then be struck with a track sledge or other suitableimplcmnt to drive the arm downwardly until the notch 17 snaps over thetop and bottom edges of the rail base. The long arm, during its downwardmovements is flexed outwardly with respect to the rail, and the body 13is simultaneously bowed upwardly from its normally straight position.

The outward camming of the long arm also subjects the short arm to someoutward distortion so as to exert a strong spring grip on opposite edgesof the rail base transversely of the rail. The upward distortion of thebody, together with the inclined portion of the short arm, forces theend of the body adjacent the short jaw endof the anchor into tighterigagement with the adjacent lower corner of the rail base. Theinclined The short A portion of the short arm and the notch 17 in thelong arm provide sufiicient resistance to prevent the anchor from beingdislodged from the rail by the normal pressure of the anchor against theballast or by the chaffing movement of the anchor against the verticalface of the cross-tie.

The anchor may, if desired, be applied by first hooking the long andshort jaws over the rail base to their initial position, shown in Fig.2. The anchor may be then moved about a vertical axis to the diagonalposition shown in Fig. 4. In the latter position of the anchor, thenotch 17 may be engaged with the edge of the rail base withoutdistorting the anchor. The short jaw end may then be driven toward thecross-tie, and thereby spread the long.and short jaw portions apart soas to effect a springgrip on opposite edges of the rail base.

While I have described my invention in connection with one specificembodiment, it will be obvious that modifications in structure might bemade without departure from the principles of the invention. It -willtherefore be understood that I contemplate all changes in structure ascome within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A rail anchor comprising a bar formed with angularly disposed endportions adapted to hook over opposite edges of the rail base and exerta spring grip thereon transversely of the rail, the end portions beingso disposed with relation to the top surfaces of the rail base that theanchor, when in its normal gripping position, may be removed from therail by downward pressure on the extremity of either of said endportions.

2. A rail anchor comprising a bar,.the opposite ends of which are bentto form angularly disposed arms adapted to be flexeol outwardly withrespect to the rail when driv ing the anchor to its applied position;one of said arms being rclatively short with respect to the other andnormally inclined inwardly toward the web of the rail so as to projectover and engage only the upper longitudinal edge of the rail base.

34 A rail anchor comprisng a bar, the op-.

p0site ends of which are bent to form angularly disposed arms adapted tobe flexed outwardly with respect to the rail when driving the anchor toits applied position; one of said arms being relatively short withrespect to the other and normally inclined inwardly toward the web ofthe rail so as to project over and engage only the upper longitudinaledge of the rail base, the inclination of the.said arm being such thatthe anchor may be removed by striking the upper end of the arm. 7

4, A rail anchor comprising a bar, the oppos1te ends of which are bentto form angularly disposed arms adapted to be flexed outwardly withrespect to the rail when driving the anchor to its applied position; oneof said arms being inclined inwardly toward the web of the rail so as toproject over and engage only the upper longitudinal edge of the railbase when the anchor is applied in its operative position on a rail.

5. A rail anchor comprising a bar, the opposite ends of which are bentto form angularly disposed arms adapted to be flexcd outwardly withrespect to the rail when driving the anchor to its applied position; oneof said arms being inchned toward the web of the rail so as to projectover the upper edge of the rail base at one side of the rail and adaptedto be removed by application of downward pressure on said arm, and theother arm being formed with a notch adapted to snap over the edge ofsaid base at the opposite side of the rail.

6. A rail anchor comprising a bar of spring metal, one end of which isbent at an angie to the body so as to bear against the upper corner onlyof a rail base at one side of a rail, and the other end of which is bentto form an upwardly extending arm having a notch at its upper endadaptedto snap over the edge of the rail base.

7. A rail anchor comprising a metal bar formed with angularly disposedarms adapted to grip the opposite edges of a rail base, the ends of saidarms being flattened to increase the width of the rail engaging surfaces of the arms.

8. A rail anchor comprising a metal bar formed with angularly disposedarms adapted to be flexed outwardly with respect to each other and intogripping engagement with the opposite edges of a rail base; the

ends of said arms being fi attened to increase the Width of the railengaging surfaces of said arms.

9. A rail anchor comprising a bar of spring metal having a body portionadapted to bear against a cross tie, one short arm which pro ects overthe upper surface of the rail base without engaging said surface, and along arm adapted to. engage the opposite edge of the rail base; thedistance between said arms when the device is free of the rail beingnormally such that it is necessary to flex said arms outwardly withrespect to each other in applying the anchor to its rail grippingposition.

10. A rail anchor comprising a bar of spring metal having a body portionadapted to bear against a cross tie, one short arm which projects overthe upper surface of the rail base without engaging said surface andadapted to be disengaged from the rail by downward pressure on said arm,and a long arm adapted to engage the opposite edge of a rail base; thedistance between said arms when the device is free of the rail beingnormally such that it is necessary to flex one of said arms outwardlywith respect to the rail base when applying the anchor to its railgripping position.

11. A rail anchor comprising a bar of spring metal having a body portionadapted to bear against a cross tie, a short arm which projects over theupper surface of the rail base without engaging said upper surface, anda long arm adapted to engage the opposite edge of the rail base, thesaid arms being disposed with relation to each other whereby one of thearms normally stands in a position in advance of the otherlongitudinally of the rail, when the anchor is in its applied position.

12. A rail anchor comprising a bar of spring metal formed at one endwith a short arm and at the other end wit-h a long arm adapted to gripopposite edges of the rail base with spring pressure, the extremity ofthe long arm being offset with relation to the body so as to engage oneedge of the rail base at a point in advance of the engagement of theother arm with the opposite edge of the base.

13. A rail anchor having a substantially straight body portion providedat one end with an arm extending at substantially right anbles to thebody and adapted to engage one edge of the rail base, and provided atthe other end with a spring arm adapted to be flexed outwardly withrespect to the edge of the rail base when forcing the anchor to itsapplied position; the arrangement of the body and arms beingsuch thatthe body extends transversely of the rail at an angle to the bottomsurface thereof and the first mentioned arm projects over the uppersurface of the rail base at one side of the rail.

14. A one-piece rail anchor having a substantially straight body portionformed at one end with a relatively short arm extending at substantiallyright angles to the body and adapted to engage one edge of the railbase,

and formed at the other end with a spring arm adapted to bo flexedoutwardly with respect to the edge of the rail base when forcizig theanchor'to its applied position; the arrangement of the body and armsbeing such that the body bears against the bottom edge of the rail baseat one side thereof and extends transversely of the rail at an angie tothe body surface thereof, whereby the first mentioned arm projects overthe upper surface of the rail base at one side of the rail and forms aline contact with the upper corner of said rail base.

CHARLES F. YARDLE Y.

